Geomechanical Properties

Understanding geomechanical properties (strength, ductility/brittleness friction, elastic properties and their anisotropy, creep behaviour), and how these vary with polyaxial stress states, is of growing importance to effective development not only of shale and tight sand reservoirs, but to questions concerning CO2 capture and storage of waste disposal. With five different testing machines, in our rock deformation laboratory we study aspects of these properties for a range of shales and related rock types, relating mechanical response to the rock microstructure.